24
Jan
2023
Restaurants seen supporting or sabotaging New Year's resolutions.
The ice cream flavor of the month at Baskin-Robbins is Magic Layer Bar, inspired by a nostalgic treat and incorporating chewy coconut and graham cracker crumbles into a French custard ice cream with a ganache swirl.
“We feel the combination of ingredients we chose for the January Flavor of the Month really had to set the tone for the magic we’re going to bring to our customers this year through our exciting new flavor lineup,” said Shawn-Marie Allan, research and development technologist for Baskin-Robbins. “Magic Layer Bar is a scoop of pure bliss and a wonderful way to celebrate the spirit of a new year.”
Hard Rock Cafe locations are debuting a mocktail menu. Beverages include strawberry basil lemonade; mango tango, with Red Bull, mango puree and orange juice; and mango-berry cooler, which blends mangoes, strawberries, pineapple juice, orange juice and a house-made sour mix topped with Sprite.
New food options at Hard Rock Cafe include the grilled Norwegian salmon with herb butter and house-made barbecue sauce and the grilled chicken Caesar salad.
The Go Getter plant-based smoothie at Jamba blends matcha green tea, a vegetable and fruit juice blend, mangos, kale and orange juice.
“For some, it’s natural to be motivated to start the new year fresh, but the challenge is staying committed to a sustainable plan that will help us reach our goals long-term,” said Danielle Fisher, vice president of marketing for Jamba. “With The Go Getter, Jamba fans can jumpstart their 2022 routines in a way that’s easy, convenient, delicious, and portable. While consumers often think green drinks can’t be delicious, The Go Getter tastes great and is packed with immunity boosting vitamins A and C, which are especially important during the winter months.”
The Pistachio Latte is returning to Starbucks for a limited time. Hot or iced, the beverage blends espresso and steamed milk with pistachio sauce and a salted brown buttery topping. The drink debuted initially at Starbucks Reserve and Roasteries and rolled out nationwide last year.
“We were mindful that pistachios can take on some different flavor profiles,” said beverage developer Erin Marinan. “For example, spumoni ice cream can lean into a cherry, almond flavor. But, like with the Roastery beverage, this is more a true pistachio flavor, it’s earthy with slight fruity notes that are really delicate.”
Frozen yogurt chain Yogurtland is introducing Plant-Based Brown Sugar Vanilla, formulated with oat milk. The limited-time flavor is the latest in a line of previous plant-based introductions that have included Cinnamon Oatmeal Cookie, Pina Colada and Salted Chocolate Souffle.
“With more people leaning into living a plant-based lifestyle and aiming to kick off 2022 with healthier food choices, we couldn’t be more thrilled to offer our newest oat milk-based option,” said Brittany Knollmiller, senior marketing manager. “We’re proud to ring in the New Year with a tasty vegan flavor that everyone can enjoy.”
New wintertime offerings at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf include a lightened vanilla latte and iced vanilla late, which are customized to be slightly less sweet; the Beyond Breakfast Sausage sandwich; the bacon, egg and cheese English muffin; and the chorizo breakfast burrito. The company recently installed ovens in all of its California and Arizona stores to warm or toast its new food items.
“We are excited for our guests to enjoy the new toasted breakfast menu items at 'The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf,” said Paul Diver, vice president of marketing for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf brand. “This new elevated taste delivered at breakfast will cater to our guest’s discerning expectations, and our food items along with our Lightened beverages are the perfect pairing to satiate all the breakfast whims this winter.”
Dunkin’ is releasing a new seasonal menu featuring a new winter blend coffee, the brown sugar oat iced latte, chive and onion stuffed bagel minis, and a stroopwafel donut, which is a chocolate frosted donut topped with a miniature stroopwafel cookie. New omelet bites are sous-vide egg bites available in bacon and cheddar and egg white and vegetable varieties.
Krispy Kreme is introducing an assortment of chocolate glazed mini donuts. The Mini Chocolate Glazed Cake Batter donut is dipped in chocolate icing, topped with rainbow confetti sprinkles and finished with a cake batter Kreme. The Mini Chocolate Glazed Cookies & Crème donut is topped with Cookies & Kreme filling and sprinkled with cookie crumbles. The Mini Chocolate Glazed Peanut Butter donut is drizzled with peanut butter sauce and topped with peanut butter Kreme. The Mini Chocolate Glazed donut is covered in chocolate glaze.
“A small, occasional treat may help you stick to those New Year’s resolutions,” said Dave Skena, chief marketing officer of Krispy Kreme. “So, we packed a ton of flavor into our new Chocolate Glazed minis to make sure your treat is not just worth it but is next-level awesome.”
New beverages debuting at Peet’s Coffee include a churro latte, a churro caramel macchiato and a cold brew with sweet cinnamon oat foam. A churro mocha and the Cinnamon Black Tie, which is a cinnamon syrup-infused cold brew layered with cinnamon and sweetened condensed milk, are available to rewards members through the Peet’s mobile app. The chain also is offering a turkey, bacon and egg white sandwich.
“January marks a refresh and rejuvenation for many of us,” said Patrick Main, senior beverage innovator. “The bold and comforting flavors of cinnamon and sugar, offering a relief from winter’s chill, increase in popularity this time of year. Our plant-based Cold Brew with Sweet Cinnamon Oat Foam meets growing interest in non-dairy ingredients and delivers on taste for a sweet treat any time of day.”
Fast-casual concept The Habit Burger Grill is serving its take on the patty melt for a limited time. The item combines a grilled cheese sandwich with The Habit’s classic Charburger, featuring two seasoned patties topped with cheese and caramelized onions with Thousand Island sauce on corn rye bread.
“After the Patty Melt became such a hit earlier this year, we knew it was the perfect sandwich to bring back to our menu,” said Adam Baird, vice president of food and beverage at The Habit Burger Grill. “The Patty Melt is a classic comfort food, and we’re excited to serve up this fan-favorite again.”
Sonic Drive-In is introducing for a limited time the Sonic Patty Melt, made with a 1/4-lb beef patty, grilled onions, two slices of American cheese, mayonnaise and mustard on Texas toast.
“With guests enjoying our now even more craveable cheeseburgers, Sonic wanted to provide a familiar dining staple wrapped in signature savory flavors with the return of the Patty Melt,” said Scott Uehlein, executive chef at Sonic. “A comforting option after the holidays that’s complete with melty cheese and grilled onions, we’ve layered in all the ingredients between thick, golden slices of Texas Toast to offer guests a moment of delightful bliss.”
White Castle has teamed with hip-hot artist Fat Joe to introduce the Spicy Joe Slider, one of three Sloppy Joe Sliders joining the menu for a limited time.
The Sloppy Joe Slider is made with lean ground beef, onions, tomatoes and bell peppers mixed with a sweet and tangy sauce. The Spicy Joe Slider adds jalapeño cheese and jalapeño crisps, while the Smoky Joe Slider has smoked cheddar and crispy onions. New Sloppy Fries feature crinkle-cut fries topped with melted cheese and tangy Sloppy Joe sauce.
“Our Sloppy Joes are back, and that means it’s time to embrace the sloppy life,” said Jamie Richardson, vice president at White Castle. “We’re excited that Fat Joe is helping us announce the return of our Sloppy Joe and Smoky Joe Sliders and introduce our new Spicy Joe Slider and Sloppy Fries.”
Jan
2023
Vegan and plant-based options ring in the new year.
Products aimed at elevating the home cook’s experience take center stage at the Las Vegas show.